Nightstalker: Superfreak
These guys don’t reinvent the wheel, but if you’re a fan of Monster Magnet, Lowrider, 90’s Nebula and/or Kyuss—and are looking for a band that’s currently releasing decent tuneage—then this record’s worth a listen.
Reviews
The Company Band : s/t
Generally speaking, a band should be greater than the sum of its parts. Keith Carman isn’t sure that is the case with US super group The Company Band (although assuredly it must be better than that awful new band John Paul Jones is in).
Squash Bowels: Grindvirus
Ever wonder what it would be like to be sitting peacefully on an outhouse latrine only to have the structure upended by backwoods goons, leaving you writhing in excrement? Probably not, but a good musical equivalent to this “Deliverance” scenario would be listening to Grindvirus, the new offal-ing from long-running Polish grinders Squash Bowels.
W.A.S.P.: Babylon
Being a huge fan of W.A.S.P. ever since I first saw the video clip for “I Wanna Be Somebody” from their self titled album back in the 80’s, it pains me to tell you that there’s not much new happening here, except for some recycled riffs and solos from previous albums.
Memory Driven: Relative Obscurity
Barely squeaking into the realms of bona fide metal, Oklahoma City’s Memory Driven seem more intent on crossing over between the worlds of radio-friendly hard music and the more lenient metallions than dedicating themselves to something of true merit.
Dark Funeral: Angelus Exuro pro Eternus
The latest effort from Swedish black metal veterans Dark Funeral continues the band’s tradition of brutal assaults on the ears of its listeners and fans. While Angelus Exuro pro Eternus has its strong points and memorable moments, it offers little to differentiate itself from the band’s back catalogue and never quite develops its own identity.
Converge: Axe to Fall
Converge seem to be following a trend among veterans like Sacrifice, Suffocation, Asphyx and Brutal Truth who have released albums this year: offering music that despite the band’s longevity, are if not one, the best albums they have ever created, all while staying true to their original sound.
Dark Tranquillity: Where Death is Most Alive
Packed to the gills with live performances, archival clips and documentary footage, Where Death Is Most Alive is an immensely gratifying look back at one of the most consistent bands in all of metal.
Pulling Teeth: Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions
In the end, Paranoid Delusions/Paradise Illusions comes across as sort of extreme music opera where songs are movements and parts rather than isolated performances.
Between The Buried And Me: The Great Misdirect
Like some terrifying amoeba, Between The Buried And Me has absorbed and incorporated a wild variety of sounds into themselves and spat back something that exhibits them all, but only uses them as ingredients to work toward their own ends.